I reckon the crafty monks are churning out more beer than they're letting on. It seems to be more and more easy to hold of it. My local beer shop usually has all three available and I think one of the Belgian supermarkets was selling it recently.
Nice to go and try it at source though!
My matey, who lives in Brussels, told me I had to go up there to try "the best beer in the world" when he heard I'd be knocking about in Artois. As I'd planned to go to Ypres in any case, I was quite happy to take what I thought would be a quick squirt up the N8 on my bike to see what the fuss was about.
So, having got up to Westvleteren (which is a longer ride from Ypres than it looks on the Michelin map) I then tried to find the abbey. I saw the "St. Sixtusabdij" pointer sign in the middle of town, but didn't see it as I rode out the other side... So I rode back in to consult. Then I rode back out again, further this time, and eventually came to another pointer sign. I followed that down a rural lane for about half a kilometre, where I found an impromptu roadblock manned by four or five scary looking locals. I asked them where the abbey was; they all stared at me, two of them shrugged, before the spokesman for the group (who looked like something by Verne Troyer out of Kim Jong-Un) said "Return... Two right". Which I took to mean back to the main road and second on the right.
I rang my matey, who tried to guide me, but not very well, so I carried out out of town for perhaps another two k's, before finding another sign for the abbey. I followed that, wound around the rural lanes, and eventually, there it was... And it had closed 45 mins earlier.
Thankfully the cafe next door was still open...
wheatbeer, ok but a bit on the lame side. Funky label though, probs why I bought it. Should have bought lager as there some really good ones out there. Apparently.
